ITB - Laboratory Testing of Water and Related Items for Harris County Precinct 3

Harris County, Texas is soliciting competitive bids through an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for laboratory testing of water and related items for Harris County Precinct 3. The contract requires qualified vendors to provide comprehensive laboratory testing services at multiple facilities including nine on-site sewage facilities (quarterly testing), three sewer treatment plants (monthly testing), one dog park (monthly testing), and sixteen water wells (quarterly testing). Services encompass sample collection and analysis for parameters including Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Ammonia Nitrogen, E-Coli, pH, Turbidity, Total Coliform, and Enterococci depending on facility type. The selected vendor must be properly licensed by the State of Texas and certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as applicable, with all testing performed in compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The contract term begins July 1, 2026, and runs for one year with four potential one-year renewal options subject to Commissioners Court approval and CPI-U based price adjustments. All rates must be all-inclusive of labor, materials, equipment, and testing costs with no separate line item charges permitted, and vendors are responsible for all toll and parking fees. Harris County will evaluate bids on a lowest and best offer basis, considering factors including price, vendor capacity and skill, time constraints, quality of performance, and reliability, and reserves the right to award to a single vendor or multiple vendors designated as primary and secondary. Bids must be submitted electronically through Bonfire or as sealed hard copies to the Harris County Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m. local time on March 2, 2026, with written questions due prior to the deadline specified in the event schedule.

The contract includes mandatory compliance with Harris County's Minimum Wage Policy requiring contractors to pay workers a minimum wage of $21.65 per hour, adjusted annually based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers Compensation, Commercial General Liability with per-occurrence limits of $1,000,000, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Umbrella/Excess Liability of $1,000,000, and Professional/Errors & Omissions Liability of $1,000,000 where applicable, with Harris County named as an additional insured. All contractors must submit a Subcontractor Listing Form identifying any proposed subcontractors prior to contract award and obtain Harris County approval before engaging subcontractors. Bidders must complete mandatory certifications including Tax Residence Certification, Bid Acknowledgement, and Form 1295 (Certificate of Interested Parties), and must comply with debarment and suspension requirements. The document does not identify specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or women-owned businesses, though the Subcontractor Listing Form requires disclosure of HUB/MWBE and Section 3 entity status. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the procurement documents. While specific contract value or budget range is not disclosed in the available documentation, the contract represents a one-year renewable service agreement with potential multi-year commitment through four optional renewal periods.